


Love Is Blind

by DestielHardcoreLove, Swlfangirl



Series: Cleaning Out the Que [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dirty Talk, F/M, Fluff and Angst, We Love Big Protective Benny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 09:05:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19438282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestielHardcoreLove/pseuds/DestielHardcoreLove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swlfangirl/pseuds/Swlfangirl
Summary: After being dumped by one of the richest most controlling, douchiest guys in the world, Amara is finally free to find herself.  So she does, in a shop where she first meets Charlie who in turn, introduces her to a man that will flip everything upside down.





	Love Is Blind

He was tan, the gorgeous caramel skin undoubtedly from his honeymoon on some Caribbean island or perhaps the one he owned himself. The money, it made her stomach twist now to think of it. He’d spoiled her in a way that she’d never been spoiled and Amara hadn’t grown up poor exactly, but the luxury of his lifestyle was unlike anything she’d ever seen. 

Though he offered her a stiff payout, she wanted nothing to do with it. 

It was stupid, she knew, she didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go and no viable means to support herself but hell would freeze over before she took another dime off of his cheating ass. She’d given him five years of her life and then he’d just turned up at the house she’d thought he bought for her, for  _ them _ , with a lawyer and a check to ‘make her go away,’ before his Parisian fiance’ came to see their new home. 

The memory still left an acidic taste in her mouth and if she’d had anyone to tell, Amara would have screamed it from the rooftops but there was no one, he’d made damn sure of that. 

Braeden quickly glanced around to make sure no one he knew was on the street. He had to get this done and get back home as soon as possible. Petra didn’t understand why he had to leave and he didn’t want her questioning him more than she already was when he got home. He hefted up the cat carrier and grumbled under his breath at the weight. 

He caught sight of his ex near the edge of the park and sighed with relief. Maybe, he could just throw it at her and be rid of the whole thing and both of them, “Amara,” he called out.

She lifted her head in acknowledgment, even though she could feel the life draining from her eyes by having to see him again. He had meant so much to her, for so long, all of it a twisted lie. He’d told her he cared about her, taken her to fancy restaurants for dinner, drinks, and dancing. They’d taken trips together, spent most of their free time together, though now she suspected he did absolutely nothing at ‘work’ if he’d somehow managed to keep his fiance even remotely entertained. A shard of pain dug deeper into her chest whenever she thought of the poor girl. She’d absolutely warn her if she had any way of escaping him but she’d found out quickly the true reach of his power when she refused to sign a non-disclosure document covering the entirety of their relationship. 

When he came closer she took a deep, ragged breath and reached a hand out for the crate, the one thing that would make any of what she’d been through, worthwhile. Her precious cat; Belladonna. 

Braeden happily shoved the crate at her, “It’s about time you asked for it, the damn thing never shut up,” he grumbled shaking his head. He shouldn’t linger but Amara looked good. Then again, he always did have a slight kink for the pathetic, needy ones. He grinned and eyed her up and down.

"If you hadn’t  _ taken _ her as  _ insurance _ , I wouldn’t have needed to  _ ask, _ ” she said, through gritted teeth. Now that she was out of the haze of whatever it had been that she felt for Braeden, it was easy to see that he’d always treated her like she was an idiot. Looking back on it, she had been so very naive, but she wasn't stupid. He hadn’t offered to take Bela to the groomers that morning to be nice, no he wanted to make sure there was something she cared about that would give him a bargaining chip. She still told him to kiss her ass, but he seemed content enough with the fact that she had no plans to call him out publicly, that he was willing to give her back her beloved pet. 

“Oh come on Amara, don’t be like that,” he sneered taking a step closer. Petra was waiting for him but maybe...maybe he could get one more go with Amara to get it out of his system.

“They say love is blind and I guess it had to be, otherwise I would have seen you for what you truly are,” She said, shaking her head at him as she squeezed the handle of Bela’s carrier. “Goodbye, Braeden.” 

Without turning back she walked away and used every ounce of strength inside her to keep the tears of anger from overwhelming her face. She didn’t grieve the end of their obviously one-sided romance, but she mourned the years she’d wasted on him and the future she might have already built for herself if not for his soft whispers about wanting to  _ take care _ of her...where was that care now? 

She saw a second-hand store around the corner and she stopped there, biting her lip. There had been some things that she was allowed to take, none of the expensive jewelry, she hadn’t wanted it but the clothes he bought for her, and other things that she was all too eager to part with.

Before she knew what was happening she was through the door and there was a small chime ringing behind her. 

Charlie quickly put down her comic and got up from the stool, “Hello?” she called out and smiled when she saw a young woman.

“Hi I-,” Amara said, before quickly realizing that all of her things, her clothes were at the hotel on the other side of town. “I know this is probably a strange request but could I trade the outfit I’m wearing for another one...or possibly two?” 

Charlie fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her mouth opened to tell the girl to leave until she took a much closer look to her clothes. They were all from the  _ Inkspell _ line. Rowena was a world-renowned designer and there was a waiting line of three years just to get her damn catalog. And only those people were of the disgustingly rich. Charlie’s mouth dropped open in shock and she ran her fingers through her hair, “You...you actually want to give up your  _ Inkspell _ clothing? Are...are you feeling well?”

“I don’t really know much about it...my ex had a crazy Scottish lady come take my measurements and the next thing I know there’s a walk-in closet full of clothes,” Amara said, barely holding back the rage she still felt toward every little deception he’d fed her. At the time she’d thought it was sweet that he was spoiling her and now looking back on it, it was just one of the many ways he kept her bottled up, his little secret. She couldn’t go out shopping for herself, because then people would ask questions. 

“Look, I’m not trying to be mean, or anything...but it’s been a long day and I would really love not to be dressed like this, to feel like I don’t know who I am anymore so, can I make the trade please?” 

Charlie took an even closer look and sighed softly. To say she didn’t recognize the rage from a broken heart would be an understatement. She knew it too well. 

“Yes, of course. With the amount of those clothes are worth, especially if they’re originals you can pick out whatever you want,” she said.

“Just a few will do,” she answered, before moving through the store to find an outfit or two that would fit her, that could maybe, possibly, give her a glimpse of who she used to be. 

The moment she’d changed out of the soft fabric of her skirt and into the scratchy denim she probably should have regretted her decision but instead, it just felt like coming home. Amara grabbed a tank top and a leather jacket that was probably a little too expensive for the look she was trying to pull off but if she promised herself she’d take it off and leave it behind if the cashier said anything. 

She picked out another two outfits, similar style jeans, and soft, old tee shirts and headed back toward the counter. ‘Is this too much? She asked, not really knowing the value of anything but the things she’d gathered up seemed to total around thirty dollars, the jacket being the majority of that. 

“I can leave some of it behind if I need to, but there’s lots more of...of whatever this was, back at my hotel if you’d like to take a look?” she said, handing over the clothing she’d just taken off. 

“No, no that’s fine. I think after that I’d still owe you money,” Charlie laughed, “as for the rest, I don’t get off until tonight but if you wanna bring them down tomorrow it would probably be easier.”

Amara frowned, “I understand it’s just that I don’t- I mean I don’t have a car or anything to carry them really...my ex, he had them all moved to the hotel for me and I-I don’t want them, I don’t want any of them…” she said, quickly realizing how crazy she sounded right then. “Look, what’s your name?”

“Charlie,” she said biting on her lip. 

“Charlie,” Amara said, with a fondness to her voice. “My name is Amara, I’m staying across town, the only reason I was here today was to pick up my cat. It’s going to take most of the cash I have in my pocket to make it back there tonight and I would be incredibly grateful if there was any way possible that you could either come back with me or visit at your convenience, before the end of the month at least, and buy everything that asshole ever gave me for a small fraction of what it cost.” 

“I’ll be honest, I could use any cash you can afford to spend on it, but I’ll also take another few outfits as a trade if that’s all you can do. I just-I want to be rid of it and I don’t have any way of bringing it to you except for wearing it in,” Amara said, a slight pleading in her eyes. She knew it was low but honestly, it wasn’t even fake. She needed a lot of things, a job for starters...she only had a couple of weeks left at the hotel before she’d have to fully support herself and while she absolutely hated to take any more of that  _ cheating asshole’s _ money, she couldn’t willingly be homeless without some kind of plan at least. 

Charlie took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “I’m off at six. My friend has a truck,” she said. It was a risk trusting this girl but there was something in her eyes that put Charlie at ease.

“Thank you, thank you so much, Charlie...I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you,” Amara said, feeling a small, dry sting at the corner of her eye before she blinked away the tears. “I know this is asking a lot and I appreciate that you’re willing to go out of your way to come to me...I’m staying at the Grand, room 1184. I’d give you a cell phone number but I don’t have that anymore either, sorry.” 

“It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize for your douche bag boyfriend treating you like shit. Been there done that but with the other gender,” Charlie laughed softly, “Me and my friend will be there around seven okay? And hey, if your haul is mind-blowing, I can take you out to dinner,” she grinned.

“I would love to get to know you Charlie,” Amara said, reaching out to offer her hand. “You’re a warm and obviously gorgeous woman but I’m not ready for...well, anything.” She squeezed at the offered hand. “Friends?” 

Charlie smiled and squeezed at her fingers gently, “Yes. Friends is perfect. We’ll see you at your place okay?”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll see you then.”

The fresh air hit her nose when she stepped outside and the thin tank top allowed for some of the breeze to sneak in against her skin, but instead of feeling chilled or exposed, the leather jacket on her arms, the feel of the denim on her legs, there was a freedom buzzing in her veins that she almost hadn’t recognized. 

It was going to be okay, she’d make damn sure of it. 

* * *

Charlie hopped out of the truck and ran up to the door, her childhood best friend hot on her heels. The bellhop and the guy behind the desk gave them both a dirty look but Charlie merely waved at them as they hurried into the elevator. It was easy finding Amara’s room and the door pulled open only a moment after Charlie knocked.

“Charlie!” Amara said, pulling the redhead close. She knew it was too forward but after being so alone, no  _ lonely _ for so long, even the smallest hint at friendship and she was ready to throw it all in. She didn’t even glance back at the door before she pulled her new friend into the large wardrobe where everything was still hanging. “I called down to the kitchens and asked for some boxes, I was going to put some of it away for you but I didn’t know if you wanted to see it hanging up first...or if maybe there was anything you wouldn’t want. You can always just give it away if that’s the case, I-I don’t want any of it.” 

Charlie took hold of Amara’s hand, sensing the need for touch deep within the girl. It had been the same for her after her horrendous break-up and kept Amara close. She peered into the closet and felt her heart thump. There was a shit ton of clothes and Charlie could practically  _ smell _ the money dripping off them. 

“Holy fu-” she gasped, tentatively reaching out to touch one of the blouses. Sure enough, the tag had the elegant script of  _ Inkspell _ stitched across it. She didn’t doubt Amara but there was still a little doubt that the girl had this much and wanted to give it to her!

“I told you there was a lot,” Amara said, with a little shrug. “I didn’t ask for all this, I didn’t want it but he- Oh,” she said, blinking a few times as she looked back toward the closet entryway. She felt her breath stick in her throat a little and she nearly stumbled over her own feet but when the gorgeous stranger’s hands reached out to catch her, her voice came out with a squeaked, “Hi.”

“Hi yourself,” Benny grinned, gently righting the girl back up on her feet. There was a snort and he playfully glared at Charlie over Amara’s head, “I’m Benny by the way. The dude with the truck,” he chuckled.

“Oh yes, of course,” she said, swallowing with a bit more difficulty than usual, “Thank you, for uhm bringing it?” Her voice lilted up at the end but mostly because she was unsure what to say or do with herself. He was by far the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Braeden had been slim but muscular, thinking back on it most of her exes were, it might have even been her type if she had one, but that all vanished the moment she laid eyes on  _ Benny _ . 

“You are very welcome cher,” he said with a grin. When Charlie had described the “hot chick” who came stumbling into her store paled in comparison for what Amara really was. And that was down right beautiful with a dangerous gleam in those eyes. 

“I know you already said you don’t want it but are you absolutely sure you don’t want anything?” Charlie asked interrupting their little stare down.

Oh that voice,  _ that  _ was going to be trouble. 

“Huh?” she asked, turning back to Charlie who was raising an eyebrow at her that clearly said something along the lines of  _ I thought you weren’t ready _ . “Sorry, sorry but no, I don’t want any of it. It’s not me...he decided everything for me and at the time it made my life much simpler and I thought it was sweet. Now that I can see his true motivations, I’d be glad to never see any of it again, to be honest.” 

Charlie nodded slowly, “Okay. I’ll set up a website to start selling them. My shop isn’t hurting financially but there’s no way I can afford all of this. What I can offer you though, is a job and sixty percent of the sales of the clothing,” she said.

Benny shook his head fondly at Charlie. He probably should have moved away from Amara, especially after bringing up her douchey ex but for whatever reason, he couldn’t. If anything he moved closer. 

“Oh I-I don’t know Charlie, I don’t know anything about clothes. I mean, I can guess that these are expensive because  _ everything _ was expensive but it was all to his taste, not mine,” she answered, though she wasn’t sure it would matter to Charlie what she knew. It was nice, the offer and she almost took it but at the same time, she didn’t want to take advantage of her new friend. 

“I knew jack about clothes too. I started at that place cleaning the floors and windows. Two years later, I own the damn place,” Charlie laughed, “Anyway, I can teach you everything you need to know. It could be an easy way for you to get back on your own feet until you can figure things out,” Charlie said with a shrug.

“I’d take it darlin, Charlie is a stubborn ass when she puts her mind to it,” Benny grinned elbowing Charlie.

“Oh-, okay,” Amara said, faltering a bit when Benny’s warm hand grazed her side as he moved into the room. What had been an extravagantly large closet just a few minutes before, turned into a much smaller space with the large man breathing the very same air that she was. Forcing herself to focus, she moved her eyes back to Charlie. “Thank you, that would be...well just lovely really. I’m not sure when I could start, I’d have to find some sort of arrangements for Bella, but I truly can’t explain how much your generosity means to me, Charlie.” 

Charlie smiled and gave Amara a tight hug. She tried to pull back but Amara clung on and how could Charlie deny the girl some obviously needed affection? The hug lasted for a few more minutes before Amara gently pulled away. Benny was whistling to himself as he began to very gently put the clothes into a box already put together on the floor.

“See, this is why I love him. He may not understand the value of those clothes but he respects it. If I would have brought my other friends-”

“Oh cher, if you brought Dean and Castiel, they’d be dead already,” Benny laughed shaking his head, “Oh and if you can’t find anyone to take that precious baby of yours, she can kick it at my place. I love cats,” Benny offered.

“Oh I don’t know, Bella’s not usually too good with strangers,” Amara said, and of course because her cat is a stubborn little witch, she came strutting into the room and twirled herself around the bottom of Benny’s leg. She glared at the cat, muttering  _ ‘traitor _ ’ but then smiled awkwardly up at the man. “She just loves to prove me wrong.” 

“Most women do,” Benny winked, bending down with his palm open face up. Bella dragged her face along his fingers, making him chuckle, “Let me know if you change your mind darlin,” he said and got up to start building up a second box.

“I will,” she said, before quickly moving away from him. It wasn’t that being beside Benny was  _ unpleasant _ exactly, but she found herself getting sucked into the vortex of his attraction and was therefore constantly being turned into a bubbling pile of awkward, embarrassed, goo. 

She sighed internally at herself before smiling shyly up at Charlie. “Oh, and if you were wondering, these are the shoes,” she said, pointing out toward a long shelf full of ebony boxes with small labels for each one. 

Charlie squealed and dove for them, carefully opening each one to inspect. They were going to make so much money off of just the shoes alone! Charlie took a calming breath and got to work. It took a while, long enough for them to order room service and talk while they ate. Charlie was finding herself liking Amara the more she hung out with her and she wasn’t an idiot. She saw the way Amara looked at Benny, Charlie could totally see them getting together before the month was out.

“Alright ladies, I do believe this is the last one,” Benny said taping up the last box.

“Yes, thank you both for helping me with all this...I feel like I can breathe a little better now that it’s all gone,” she said, looking around at the closet full of brown boxes but nothing that made her question who she was and what she was doing there. 

Thankfully Benny and his ridiculous muscles had already taken quite a few of them down to his truck, Amara went with him the first time just to make sure nobody gave him any trouble. She pulled a couple rolling luggage carts from the lobby and forced the man to load them up instead of just carrying the armloads out to his truck. He didn’t hesitate for long though, because he must have seen that it was going to take him an eternity to do all the loading mostly by himself. 

‘I’m going to need a few more outfits though,” she grinned, “Not as many as we packed away but I’ve got this and a couple more things I can put together, but most of my stuff pre-asshole was ‘conveniently misplaced’ by him, so when I left there wasn’t a lot for me to pick from outside of all that.” 

Charlie rolled her eyes, “What a douche nozzle. Well I have to run the store tomorrow but Benny here, he’s off tomorrow,” she grinned, batting her eyes up at her best friend. 

Benny laughed, playfully punching at Charlie’s arm, “Subtle red, very subtle.”

“Oh, no...I couldn’t, you’ve already done so much for me. I can take the bus or...something, I’m sure. I made it to your store earlier,” she said, with a smile that she hoped didn’t betray just how terrifying the city was for someone who had never needed to navigate it for themselves before. She’d grown up in a residential area upstate, they both had. But Braeden had got his fancy job in the city and talked her into going with him. She was chauffeured everywhere after that, always a car waiting for her. Miss Amara this, Miss Amara that, and without all that, she’d felt truly alone for the first time in her life. 

“Hmm, let me think here. Either I can stay home and binge watch the new season of Orange is the New Black, or hang out with a gorgeous girl all day and watch as she shows off the outfits she likes? Don’t really think I’m losing in this one,” Benny smirked, giving her a wink.

Amara felt her face go warm but she couldn’t look away from such a kind man. After everything with Braeden one ability she’d certainly picked up was how to spot fake sincerity a mile away and she was convinced that Benny didn’t have an ounce of it in him. 

“If you’re...sure, but I really will be okay on my own. I-I need to learn how to do things for myself at some point, right?” she asked, looking to Charlie for understanding. 

“Of course but it never hurts to have someone help you learn, especially someone as charming as Benny,” Charlie said.

“Whatever it is you wanna try and learn cher, I’ll help ya out with whatever I can. Even if it’s learning how to drive,” Benny said.

“Oh I don’t think that will be necessary, maybe just some directional and navigational things. It’s going to be a long time before I have money for anything like a car, even if I wanted one. I’ve been told that driving in the city is stu-isn’t fun, and you should only do it if you have to,” she said, feeling embarrassed for a completely different reason. “Thanks to you, Charlie I don’t have to worry about the job part, so that’s one thing down. But I’ve got a couple more weeks here, to make whatever kind of money I can and then it’s off to look for an apartment.”

Benny shook his head. The more he learned about Amara’s ex the more he wanted to find the douche and kick him straight in the nuts. True, he didn’t know Amara very well and was not ashamed to say he was a bit shallow. But despite her beauty, Amara did make him laugh and he always enjoyed a woman who could do that.

“Alright my beauties, everything is packed up in my truck. We got plans for the rest of the night or are we callin it?” Benny asked, rubbing his hands together.

“I don’t- I mean, it’s not like I have anything to  _ do _ really, but I don't need to take up any more of your valuable time, you’ve both been so kind,” she almost felt like a broken record, the same thing over and over but it had been so long since she’d connected with anyone on a similar level, the way she felt that she and Charlie and Benny were. Her driver Abby, had kept up conversation, checked on her from time to time, she’d almost have thought they were friends, but looking back on it there wa sa good chance it was just part of her job. 

“Sorry, I know I keep saying it but you two have really...well you really helped me today. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, I would gladly repay the favor,” she added, once she’d got her head a bit clearer.

Charlie just smiled, reaching out to take one of Amara’s hands, “Hey, that’s what friends do hun,” she said, “Why don’t you get some sleep and we can all hang out tomorrow when I get off from work. Benny though, I’m sure he’ll want to take you out or something,” she teased.

Benny snickered, “If that’s what Amara would like, then yes I would love to take you out to explore the town. Get your shopping on and all that.”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind, I’d really like that. I don’t have the budget to do too much shopping but if you could maybe show me how to navigate the bus and subway routes, I’d be very grateful,” she said, looking up into those piercing blue eyes. She swallowed hard, a full day with the man in front of her, how was she supposed to cope with  _ all that _ , without Charlie to buffer. She cleared her throat and refocused. “The clothes can wait until we get to Charlie’s place. It’s got a lot of really cute things so I’m sure I’ll be able to find enough there.” 

“We’ll figure it all out tomorrow cher. Get some sleep,” Benny said gently touching her shoulder before heading to the door.

Charlie hugged Amara again and kissed her cheek, “I left mine and Benny’s phone numbers written down on that piece of paper. Text us, call...whichever you need. We  _ are _ friends Amara,” she said with a warm smile. Turning, she followed Benny towards the door.

If Amara could have bottled Charlie up and kept that ray of sunshine with her, she would have. Part of her wanted to take the girl up on her offer for a dinner date just so she’d be able to invite her into that cold, empty bed and just hold her all night. But she wouldn’t lead Charlie on and as handsome as Benny was, he brought out a whole other list of issues she had to deal with. 

She wasn’t in any kind of state to start a relationship, or anything else, despite how well he filled out the soft, well-worn denim of his jeans. 

She just wasn’t. 

It would be okay, she’d be fine.

Just a few hours on her own and now at least, she had Bella back. 

The black cat jumped effortlessly onto the bed and Amara rolled her eyes, “Yeah, a lot of help you were back there.” 

She could have sworn the cat smiled smugly at her as if to say  _ ‘you’re welcome.’ _

Okay, she was probably going insane. 

Maybe a long bath would help, it was worth a shot at least. She wouldn’t have access to the ridiculous bathroom for much longer, might as well take advantage of it.

* * *

Amara twisted the slip of paper between her fingers a few times before she finally took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She dialed the extension to call out and then gently pressed the numbers written beside  _ Benny. _

She looked at the clock, nine am...was it too early? 

Her finger was on the cradle, and she’d nearly hung up when she heard that familiar,  _ delicious _ , baritone. 

“Hello?” Benny asked, flipping the pancakes he had cooking on the griddle.

“Oh, oh hi Benny, it’s Amara...I didn’t wake you did I?” she asked, wincing a bit at the hour. She figured most people were awake but she didn’t know a whole lot about the man, only that he was handsome, charming, funny, and his voice made parts of her she didn’t know she had, melt into a pile of goo. 

“Oh mornin darlin, nah you didn’t wake me. Been up since six,” Benny chuckled, “Just makin some breakfast. How are you?” He got the pancakes onto a big plate where he already had hash browns and sausages waiting under a cover. 

“I’m well, thank you for asking. I uh, I probably should have asked what time you were wanting to get started yesterday but it slipped my mind. There’s no rush, if you have anything else that needs to be done today.” 

“Nope, was waitin for ya call actually,” Benny grinned, “Let me eat this and get changed and I’ll head over okay?” he asked.

“There’s no rush but yes, that sounds lovely.” 

“If you want, you can just call up a few minutes before you arrive and I’ll meet you downstairs,” she paused, chewing at her lip a bit. “I know sometimes the staff can be...condescending, if it helps at all they’ve been giving me the same looks since I came back from Charlie’s yesterday.”

Benny chuckled again, “I ain’t afraid of getting down the nose looks. Been used to that for years now. But yeah, I’ll give ya a call when I’m pulling up. I’ll be there soon darlin,” he said.

“Thanks again, Benny…” she answered, before dropping the phone back onto it’s cradle. 

“What? Don’t look at me like that...I’m not doing anything wrong,” she said, when Bella perked her head up with a  _ really? _ expression on her face. “And that’s why you’re staying here.” 

Amara ignored the rumbling in her stomach and dug through the small few items she’d bought from Charlie along with what was left of her own things. She held tightly onto the leather jacket she got the day before and carefully planned something that would look okay with it. After that she slipped on her most comfortable chucks and gave herself a once over in the mirror. “Well, it’s not anything to write home about, but it’s better than yesterday,  _ more you _ , ‘ she told herself. Amara grinned and finally felt like she was reclaiming a lost part of herself.

Benny finished his food rather quickly, leaving the dishes to be done later when he got home. After making sure everything was off and locked up, he jumped in his truck to make it back to where Amara was staying at. When he was five minutes out he gave her a quick call and sure enough she was standing outside waiting for him when he pulled up. She looked gorgeous yesterday but today she was something out of a fever dream. He almost got out to open the door for her but she yanked it open for herself and hopped in.

“Hey darlin, I gotta say, that outfit looks more your style than those fancy ones I was throwin in a box yesterday,” he said with a warm smile as he pulled away from the curb. 

“You have no idea,” she grinned. “I probably should have made some kind of plans but I don’t exactly know what I’m looking for or where I’m going to have to go, outside of Charlie’s I mean...so I hope it’s not too much pressure, but I’m kinda counting on you to run this show.” 

“No problem. There’s a strip that I think you’ll like to walk around. It’s nothin fancy, mostly mom and pop shops. It’s easy to get lost in but it’ll help with that navigational training you wanted,” Benny laughed, “There’s a place with damn good pizza we can get lunch at too if that’s up your alley.”

Her stomach rumbled unhappily again, “Oh god, do you know how long it’s been since I had a good pizza?” she moaned, just the thought of it had her mouth watering. The man was already tempting enough on his own, she didn’t need the added influence of hungerlust. 

“Well sweetheart, you are in for a treat. Everything is handmade all the way down to the sauce. I gain fifty pounds just talking about it,” he laughed pulling into a parking spot. The area was downtown but was always bustling with people. There were street performers and little alleyways with even more shops to gawk at. Including his best friend Dean’s pizzeria and Castiel’s flower shop that strangely sat next to each other. Hell even Castiel’s older brother Gabriel had a sweet shop right around the corner from them. The whole alley was basically his entire family.

“Alright cher, let's get lost shall we?” he grinned.

She felt something tingle inside her but she ignored it. Instead, Amara laughed, she laughed and she wrapped her arm through Benny’s and beamed up at him. “Yes, lets.” 

Everything was beautiful, the buildings were old and nothing like the neighborhood where the penthouse she’d shared with Braeden was, nor anything like the house she’d stupidly thought he’d bought for them. It was time weathered but warm and so full of life. There was a coldness to the sleek modern design of the city that she’d seen but none of that existed here, not with the street musicians, the smiling faces, and the aroma of freshly baked bread that was  _ almost  _ enough to drown out the other, less delightful smells.

Amara was in love. 

“This is beautiful...the shops, they’re gorgeous. I used to love stuff like this, the brick and mortar of it all. I wouldn’t trade this for a hundred uptown lofts,” she said, squeezing a bit at Benny’s arm as he tucked her closer to the inside of the street so she was further from the road. 

It was sweet. 

Benny smiled, his chest squeezing a bit. His assumptions about Amara were true and it had feeling warm all over. There was a little booth, an older lady sitting behind the desk that they walked up to selling a beautiful array of flowers. He pulled out his wallet to grab a five. They were only a dollar but he waved his hand at the change before plucking up a orange and red one, “Here you go cher. For that fire that’s growing inside of ya,” he said with a wink.

“Oh Benny, you-you didn’t have to-,” she realized, in that moment, the difference in a gift like this and the countless she’d received from Braeden over the years and it brought a physical hurt to her chest. How had she not seen what he truly was? Sure the gifts were extravagant and expensive but not a single one of them had said anything about her, about who she was, only what he wanted her to be. 

Amara refused to give that asshole another tear so she fought them back expertly and pulled the soft flowers close, letting the petals tickle her nose. “Thank you, it’s probably the most thoughtful gift anyone has given me in a long time.”

“You are very welcome,” Benny said, gently leading her back down the sidewalk. Even if it never amounted to anything other than friendship, Benny was going to show Amara how a real man treated a woman. Then she would never accept anything less. Benny smiled to himself but kept pointing out small shops here and there. Once he knew they were truly lost, he helped her by pointing out certain things so she could find the way back towards the car. It took some time, a lot of laughter and teasing but he hugged her tight when she finally managed to get back.

“Now, time to get some food. You should have told me you were hungry, though, that growling in your stomach was hard to miss,” he teased.

“It’s okay, I don’t usually eat breakfast. I think maybe it’s because I woke up a little earlier today than usual,” she answered, not mentioning it was an almost childlike enthusiasm that wouldn’t let her fall back to sleep. “But you did promise me pizza and that would have been enough to drive my stomach crazy. Please tell me it’s nearby,” she finished with a small chuckle at herself. 

“Just back in that alleyway over there,” he said pointing it out. He barked out a laugh as he was practically dragged over. Their fingers intertwined and Benny bit down on his bottom lip, loving how Amara didn’t let go even after they entered Dean’s pizzeria. 

“Hey Cas!” Benny shouted, one of his best friends were standing by the counter, putting little flower arrangements here and there.

“Benny!” Castiel quickly put down the pot he was decorating and hurried over to hug the man, “Oh wow, it’s been a while. Dean!” 

“Comin!” Dean called back, before sliding the pizza into the blazing hot oven. The crust was long done now he just needed to get that cheese bubbling and it would be another gorgeous pie in his customer’s belly. Little else in the world made him happier than that.

“Yeah. sweetheart- Benny, goddamnit man, we missed you last week, makes it feel like forever since I’ve seen your ugly mug,” Dean teased, pulling his friend in for a hug. 

“And oh wow, who is this?” he asked, taking in the gorgeous woman in black leather and skinny jeans. He was surprised Benny’s tongue wasn’t hanging on the floor. 

“Oh, I’m Amara,” she said, waving a bit before she was pulled into a crushing hug.

“You ever realize you could do better, let me know. I’ve got a little brother who’s much more handsome than this beast,” Dean said, teasingly pointing at Benny. 

“Somehow I doubt it,” the words came out unchecked, and a bright red blush flooded her face. “I-I just mean that uhm, you know what, nevermind I’m just going to stop talking now.” 

Castiel laughed, his head shaking as he pecked at Dean’s lips before going back to his arrangements.

“Mmhmm, sayin that string bean is hotter than me...now that’s hilarious,” Benny huffed, playfully shoving at Dean’s arm before wrapping his other one around Amara’s shoulders. Her little comment didn’t fall on deaf ears but he didn’t want to embarrass her further in front of Dean and Castiel.

“You gonna feed us or what Dean-o?”

“Sure man, you want the regular or something special for the lady?”

“I don’t know about him but I want as much meat and cheese as you can fit on a crust,” she answered, loving the way Dean just grinned back at her. “Like all of it, honestly...whatever you’ve got back there, just pile it on.” 

“So, the usual,” Benny barked out a laugh. Dean turned to get to work and Benny led Amara over to where Castiel was, “These just for the shop or you sellin em?” he asked.

Castiel set the pot down and put another twig of green leaves into it, “These are just new ones that I’m doing to see if anyone likes them. I got bored at the store and came over to keep Dean company before the lunch rush hits,” Castiel said.

“Oh they’re gorgeous,” Amara said, holding the flowers Benny already bought for her tightly in her grip. “I had a purple accent wall that would have looked beautiful as a backdrop...maybe some lilacs, or purple baby’s breath added in?” she asked, not thinking of just how much she was overstepping until Castiel twisted his head to the side and looked up at her. 

“Oh, I’m sorry..I didn’t mean, it truly is wonderful just as it is.” 

Castiel smiled, “Nothing to be sorry about. Sometimes you need an outside opinion,” he said and looked through his supplies to find a bag of his dark purple baby’s breath. He placed a few here and there and took a step back, “Hmm, you were right. It looks much better now.”

Benny grinned wide and squeezed at Amara’s hand before letting go to walk behind the counter where Dean was working, “Anything I can do to help?” he asked.

“Yeah, tell me where you got the brunette bombshell,” Dean teased, tossing an apron over his shoulder because he knew Benny wasn’t going to leave the kitchen until he had pie in hand, and it would be a shame for the man to get floured up and gross with such a beautiful woman waiting on him. 

Benny grinned, “Like anyone I else I meet?” he grinned without missing a beat the both of them said, “Charlie.”

“Yep. She called me, telling me that she needed help packing up some clothes and transporting them to her shop. I was not prepared for Amara. Charlie told me about her before we got there but it didn’t compare. I think even Charlie’s got a crush on her,” he laughed.

“I could see it,” Dean agreed, “If it wasn’t for Cas I’d be out there stealing her away from you right now,” he teased. “So...what’s her story? I think someone needs to gauge just how fucked you are right now.” 

“Oh, she’s out of my league that’s for damn sure,” Benny chuckled, “From what I’ve learned so far is she had a rich, douchey boyfriend who did anything and everything they could to dictate her life. Made her change to where she didn’t know who she was anymore and then fucking cheated on her, kicked her out and even held her damn cat hostage just for insurance. If I knew what the fucker looked like I would say lets to do to him what we did to Bart,” he said giving Dean a knowing look before glancing over at Castiel. The smile on both his and Amara’s faces made him feel warm again and couldn't help smiling himself.

Dean whistled low, “Man, that sounds like a hard way to go, for her I mean. Guy deserves to get his ass kicked that’s for sure but...Ben,” Dean agreed. “I mean don’t get me wrong here buddy, I’m all for you having a little love in your life for once but- well, just be careful here, man. Doesn’t sound like she’s playing the same hand you are, if you know what I mean.” 

“I know. I’ve already been telling myself that even if we only are friends in the end, at least I can show her how a real man treats their partner. Hell even seeing how you gush over Castiel will help her realize that not all of us are bastards,” Benny said with a little smile. 

“Alright, alright, consider my two cents reported,” Dean answered, holding his hands up in the air after he pushed the last of the toppings onto the deep dish crust. “Now make yourself useful and throw this in the oven so you can tell your girl out there, you had some sort of hand in making her orgasm tonight.” 

Benny rolled his eyes but did as he was told.

Castiel glanced up at the two men behind the counter and shook his head, “So, I’m assuming Charlie introduced you two?” he asked with a grin, handing over a few flowers for her to put in the new pot they were working on together.

She smiled, “Yes...Charlie’s done a lot for me and I just met her yesterday, it must be truly wonderful to have a friend like her for so long.” 

“It is. I’ve only known her for a few years now. The boys have been with her since they were all kids. But because of her, I met Dean. She’s our...unintentional cupid so to speak,” he said.

“Oh, is...is that what you meant earlier?” Amara asked, fighting back the flush on her cheeks. “It’s not like that with us. I mean of course, I do truly like Benny and I enjoy his company but I don’t think, I mean I’m not…” Whenever she stammered most people, Braeden included, would give her that look that said,  _ speed it up _ , but Castiel seemed to be patient and wait for her to collect her thoughts. It was a nice change of environment. “I have things I need to do for myself before I could consider trying any sort of relationship again.”

Castiel saw a familiar expression in her eyes and nodded sadly, “I know exactly what you mean. It took a few months after meeting Dean for me to finally say yes. He was sweet though, gave me time to recover,” he said and looked up at the two of them laughing again, “They’ll deny it to my face but I know they had something to do with my ex landing in the hospital a week after meeting them.”

At the look of shock on her face, Castiel quickly continued, “Bart was...extremely abusive, physically,” he said.

“Oh, well I suppose he’s lucky then,” she said, knowing that even after watching only a short conversation between Castiel and Dean and only knowing Benny less than a day, the man should be grateful to be alive. Amara had always promised herself that she’d never be one of  _ those _ girls. The ones that were slapped around and stayed, but she knew in that moment, deep down, Braeden might not have physically assaulted her, but he was abusive no less and yet she’d stayed with him for years. “I’m happy for you, you two look very much in love and the way Benny talks about you two, it’s..it’s sweet, wistful almost.” 

Castiel blushed a little and nodded, “Dean’s going to propose soon. We’re about to hit our third anniversary and he’s taking me out to their family cabin. I know it’s presumptuous to assume but...I just have a feeling,” he said with a soft sigh. 

Amara made a tight-lipped smile and nodded. She realized how it must have looked, so she quickly apologized. “Sorry, I-I’m truly I’m so happy for you, I just...I’d thought that he- but he didnt, he didn’t at all and I know now, that I’m better off for it but, sorry..it’s not you I swear.” 

Castiel felt the guilt that swam over him and he gently pulled Amara into a hug, paying close attention to whether she tried to pull away. She didn’t and he squeezed her tight, “You’re better off Amara. It’s hard now but I swear to you, there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” she said, not really knowing what else to say. She knew she’d rather see him for what he truly was than to live as the marble statue he wanted her to become. A nameless, faceless piece of arm candy was what he wanted and that life would have grown to be too much for her eventually, or maybe not enough for her. Either way, she would have been miserable so as much as the wasted years hurt, Amara was relieved that it was over. But it didn’t always feel that way. 

“Dean will be a very lucky man if he goes through with it and I bet he will, he seems to smart to let someone like you get away,” she said, finally forcing herself to pull away from the hug. 

Before Castiel could answer he could see Benny inching closer and Castiel smiled up at him, letting him know it was okay, “I’ll be back,” he said squeezing Amara’s hand and then Benny’s arm as he moved around them. He went behind the counter to press a kiss to Dean’s cheek before leaving the restaurant to check on his own place.

“How you doin?” Benny asked, sitting down on one of the stools, “I know everyone can get a bit overwhelming sometimes,” he laughed softly.

“Oh no, no it’s perfect. I had a bit of a moment, but Castiel is wonderful and, well  _ everyone _ has been so wonderful. honestly.” Amara said, reaching out for his fingers again. She knew it was probably too much, that she’d be leading him on even when she didn’t really mean to but Benny had been like an anchor for her since she climbed into his truck and she felt like she needed something to ground her in that moment, to remind her that it was real. 

“You have something special here,” she said, smiling as she thought about the friendship between all the new strangers turned friends she’d met in the last twenty four hours. It was unlike anything she’d seen outside of family, maybe beyond family in her case at least. 

“I’m grateful for it everyday,” he said squeezing her fingers. They stood there looking at each other until there was a clearing of a throat behind them. Benny’s cheeks flushed a little and he laughed, “Anyway, so Dean wanted me to tell you that I helped make the pizza. Mainly, I pushed it in the oven,” he grinned.

“Dude, you suck at this,” Dean said, shaking his head. Though it was probably best that Benny was being honest and straightforward with the girl. From what he’d heard she needed that more than anything else. 

“Okay, okay pie coming through. It’s hot now, so be careful not to burn your pretty hands, or lips, Benny might never forgive me,” Dean added with a wink before heading back to the kitchen to give them a little privacy.

“He’s a big flirt huh?” Amara asked, though she could tell it was just friendly. Or perhaps he was flirting  _ for _ his friend, but either way, she never once thought that Dean was actually trying to make a move and that said a lot about who he was. 

“I used to be that way,” she sighed, smiling to herself. “Never meant anything by it, just like he doesn’t, but that was something else I lost, I guess. I lost so much of myself without even realizing it.”

“Maybe with the right friends, you can find her again. You already took the first step cher,” he said playfully tugging at her leather jacket. He got up to get some plates and two glass bottles of soda, bringing it all back over to her, “This group...we latch on. Once we claim you as our friend then it’s damn hard to get rid of us. So I mean it when I say that if you need anything, anything at all. You can call any of us and we’ll be there. Even if it is to have an epic sleepover,” Benny chuckled.

“Well if that’s true, I think that might just be the best thing that has ever happened for me,” Amara said, smiling a bit wider than she normally did. The thought of inviting them all over swam warmly in her head for a while, until she took the first bite of pizza at least. Then nothing but beautiful, delicious carbs were on her mind. 

“This is heaven,” she said, still partially chewing around the mouthful of meat and cheese and a savory sweet sauce that made her body shiver a bit. “This is  _ actual _ heaven.” 

Benny smiled that which only turned into a barking laugh when Dean started to actually sing  _ This is Heaven _ . 

“Cheers to new beginnings darlin,” he grinned, clinking their bottles together before diving in too.

* * *

A dozen apartments in, Amara was starting to lose hope. She’d started to feel a bit like a primadonna after the first three but none of them felt like the right fit. It wasn’t about wall to wall hardwood floors, open spaces, or exposed brick, she just couldn’t see herself being happy in any of them. The one that had came closest to being what she wanted was in a part of town that Benny advised her against, and she knew, deep down, he was right. It wasn’t the nicest place they’d looked at, needed a lot of work and attention, but it seemed like something that could be made beautiful. 

She only had two days left in the hotel she wouldn’t have a choice in anything much longer, though Charlie had offered to let her crash with her and her roommate Jo for a few days longer if she needed it, Amara felt like it was time to be on her own. She’d made quite a bit of money off the clothes that Charlie sold for her and she was also putting in quite a few hours at the store, not to mention Castiel had asked if she could help him out on the weekends with a few weddings, part time. She’d jumped at the opportunity and hadn’t regretted a single moment of it since. It felt so good to make a living for herself again, to carve her own path, decide her own future. It wasn’t until then that Amara realized she’d finally taken control back over her life and it felt better than anything she’d had during the pitiful excuse for a relationship that Braeden had kept her caged in. 

Castiel frowned as he looked around, “This is the charming two bedroom?” he asked. The manager or whoever she was nodded, the boredom on her face easily read. Castiel bristled at that but managed to keep it under lock and key.

“This is ridiculous. How can they consider that broom closet a second bedroom?” Castiel hissed once he was standing next to Amara.

Amara smiled, squeezing at her friend’s arm. “I don’t need much and it has... _ potential _ .” 

Castiel chewed his lip. He knew nothing about interior decorating. He had gladly stepped back when it came to designing his and Dean’s house.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“Well it’s not perfect but I am running out of options,” Amara said softly to him, trying not to let the woman overhear her. It was a trick Benny had taught her, though she still wasn’t sure why. She turned to the sour faced woman, “How much?” 

“Oh, about eight fifty,” she said rubbing at the side of her neck.

Amara hummed around a little, while Castiel just stared back at her. She looked at all the damaged tile in the kitchen and the exposed brick that she hoped to paint and replace some of the broken bits. It was going to cost her quite a bit to make it look like she wanted. 

She moved closer to the woman with a small hint of a smile. “How about I’ll pay you six hundred for the next six months and when I’m finished with it, you’ll be able to rent it out for twice that, easily.” 

Castiel watched in fascination as Amara haggled with this woman for the next five minutes. Somehow Amara worked some kind of magic and talked the lady to even lower than that. Both of them settling on five eighty five. The lady looked insanely irritated and shocked all in the same boat but she was shaking Amara’s hand.

“Holy shit you’re good at that,” Castiel laughed once the lady was gone.

“I have plans for this place and I’ve got to live too, it’s going to be tight but I’ll make it work,” she grinned, wrapping an arm over his shoulder with a loud laugh. “Something tells me it won’t seem so daunting once Dean and Benny find out I’m in need of some muscle. Any chance for those two to show off never passes them by.”

“Nope, it never does. Especially when they know they have a willing audience to watch said muscles work,” Castiel grinned, his eyes flashing a bit. Both of them erupted into laughter and Castiel shook his head, “Oh man. So, shall we celebrate on you finding your first apartment?” he asked.

“Actually, about that,” she said, nervously chewing at her lip. Part of her was still unsure of her place in the pack of friends she’d been so graciously pushed into, but she trusted Cas, Dean, Benny, and Charlie enough to tell her to back off if they needed space. “I’ve got one more night at the hotel and I thought...why not throw a party for the gang and put it all on Braeden’s tab...What do you think?” 

Castiel threw his head back and laughed, “Oh that sounds perfect! I was going to suggest going out dancing or whatever but no, I like this so much better!”

“Good, I think I’ll get the boys, well anyone who’s willing really, to carry my boxes, not that there’s many now, down to Benny’s truck before everything gets started, that way it’s not something we have to do before checkout when we’re all hungover and grouchy,” she said with a grin, lacing their fingers together. Cas was always happy to indulge her need for touch, proximity, she’d felt starved for it after those first few hugs from her friends but now they all seemed to understand and were extremely kind in offering their affections. It didn’t feel the same way it felt when she had Benny’s thick, calloused fingers between hers but it was sweet and warm and it made her feel better so she took the comforts where they came. 

“You have things to do or do you wanna help me figure out the most fun ways to spend my ex’s money?” 

“As a responsible shop owner I  _ should _ be preparing for tomorrow but that can wait. I wanna see how much we can spend tonight,” Castiel grinned wide, pulling her in closer, “Oh tonight is going to be epic.”

“Well c’mon, let’s head back and get to planning,” she teased, leading them back out of the small apartment. It wasn’t glamorous but it was in a safe enough neighborhood that she wasn’t worried about not being able to sleep at night, and it came at an excellent price. It would become her new home for at least the next six months starting tomorrow and Amara couldn’t help but be delighted by that. 

She was pleased when Cas let her guide him around the city, not that he didn’t know how to get anywhere on his own, but thanks to Benny and their weekend excursions Amara was finally able to make it from point A to point B, usually in the least bothersome way, though she did still slip up a few times and have to take an extra train. 

They made it back to the hotel and she rushed to feed Bella who was clearly scolding her with her eyes, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I meant to be back a couple hours ago but I did find our new home, isn’t that nice?” 

Bella ignored her and daintily ate the tuna from her dish. 

“This cat is going to kill me in my sleep one day,” Amara said, chuckling along when Cas laughed at her. 

“You love her,” Castiel grinned, looking back down at his phone.

_ Message to Dean:  _ Amara wants to have a sleepover tonight and to rack up the bill on douchebag’s credit card. You game?

Dean grinned down at his phone and sent back a quick text. 

_ Message to Cas: _ I’m in, need me to bring anything?

_ Message to Dean:  _ Anything you can think of but the goal is to rack this bill up to astronomical heights. But could you bring those cheese sticks you make? I don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach some of the food.

“Hey Mari, you want the boys to bring anything?” he asked.

She adored the nickname Benny had given to her, Dean and Cas picked up on it quickly too. It made her feel like one of them more than most things did. “I would ask that he brings food because it’s better quality than what we can get here but there’s no point...actually, hold on a second,” she said, reaching for the room phone. 

“Crowley please,” she said, smiling to herself once the receptionist picked up. She knew that there was at least one person in the hotel who would love to get Braeden’s panties in a twist just as much as she would. 

Crowley glared at the woman standing before him, shaking his head as he picked up the phone to dismiss her, “Crowley,” he said.

“Crowley, its Amara… how would you like to help me plan a financial drain on our common foe? It’s my last night here and I want to go out in style, what do you say?” she asked, a teasing to her voice though she knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. 

“You have definitely perked my interest, what did you have in mind?” Crowley asked, a wide grin slowly pulling at his lips.

“Well for starters, I need to make sure it’s perfectly legal to have an event catered here, in my room, and have it charged to said room,” She said, Dean’s food was so much better than anything they could order up from room service. “Then maybe...a jacuzzi of champagne and I plan to clean out the entire building out of roses and chocolate if possible.” 

Crowley barked out a laugh, “Oh, you are precious. You have my permission to do as you please my dear girl. Just let me know if you need anything else,” he said.

Castiel stared at Amara wide eyed after hearing a few things she was telling this Crowley guy. He laughed softly to himself and sent Dean another text.

_ Message to Dean:  _ You might need to drag Benny into the restaurant, I think Amara has a plan for your cooking skills.

_ Message to Cas: _ Okay, what’s she got in mind?

Amara hung the phone up once she finished her goodbye with Crowley and she grinned widely over at Castiel. 

“Tell him to bring as much food as he thinks we can eat and to triple mark the normal price and charge a catering fee,” she said, then paused, “Actually just have him give me a call and we’ll work out the pricing.”

Castiel chuckled, hitting the call button, “Hey baby, yeah Amara just wants to talk to you,” he said and handed her the phone.

“What’s the most money you’ve ever made in a night?” Amara asked with a cheshire grin. Whatever it was, she was about to double it. Every purchase felt cathartic and it wasn’t like the man would be left destitute over it all, hell he’d probably get his fancy lawyers involved and pay a minimum of what he should but Dean would make his money, she’d make damn certain of it. Crowley would always be there to point out the right line in the right contracts that would ensure he did. 

* * *

Benny wrapped a towel around his shoulders and went for his phone that was ringing on the bed. He was hoping it was Amara but was only a slight disappointed to see Dean’s name instead.

“Hey brother, what’s up?”

“Looks like your girls’ planning on getting her revenge, you up for a little work and a lot of fun today?” Dean asked, teasing a bit with his tone. Benny was so damn sprung on Mari that it had worried him a bit, but he talked to Charlie and they both think they’ve got a lock on what’s going to happen with that. She’ll take her time, just like Cas did, but Mari cared for Benny and Dean trusted that would work well for him when she was ready to love again. 

“Oh hell yeah. I’ll get Eileen to cover me tonight. The boys know better than to mess with her especially since she’s pregnant and all,” Benny grinned. Yet another one that Charlie had a hand in. Eileen was Dean’s sister in law who had just found out she was going to be having a baby maybe a month ago. She’d used it to push them all around and none of them denied her anything. Especially not Sam, there were many times that Benny got a panicked call at one a.m. trying to find some kind of random ice cream.

“That’s what I thought you’d say, head over as soon as you can, we’re making enough food to feed the clan and then some, and carting it over to the hotel. I hear there’s gonna be one hell of a party tonight,” Dean grinned. 

“Fuck yeah,” Benny laughed and hung up. He packed up some clothes that he could destroy in Dean’s kitchen and some that he could wear for the party. He got text just before he left to pack some PJs as well and he snorted. He quickly got them packed as well and called Eileen on the way out to his truck. The smile on her face when he asked her to cover was priceless and he hung with her with a warm feeling settling in his chest. That woman loved bossing people around.

It didn’t take long to pull up to the corner where Dean’s restaurant was and he left the bag behind in the back seat before hurrying through the door. The sign saying “closed for the day” not going unnoticed.

“Heya brother, smells good in here,” he said.

“No time to talk, grab an apron and man the fryer,” Dean said, loading the third pizza into the oven before quickly pulling the first out. Cas had said it would just be their group, which in itself was still quite the crowd, especially if he meant to invite the next gens, like Jo and Ash and Kevin, Krissy, and the rest. Then Amara had quickly added on, and anyone else we can drum up from inside the hotel! So basically they needed  _ all _ the food. 

“Kriss, need you to get those drained when he’s finished and wrapped up in foil, don’t want them going soft and chewy, ya hear?” 

“Yes boss,” she said sarcastically, though she did follow the directions easily enough. 

Benny grinned and quickly got into line. If he hadn’t opened his own auto body shop he’d have gladly stayed as a line worker at the pizzeria. They moved around each other easily, almost as if they were dancing and hell, they probably were. The music pouring out of the speakers had Benny feeling incredibly light as he scooped both pizzas out and slid them off onto the waiting pans.

“Mmm, is that Castiel’s cheese bread I’m smellin?” Benny asked.

“Don’t worry, I made extra.” Dean said, loading up a tray of his sauces and dips into a tightly sealed container. He’d never done any catering before but he hoped it would be good enough. He glanced up at the clock and cursed,” Shit, we’re supposed to be there in forty minutes, we gotta load up and head out.”

Thankfully the staff was just family so everyone worked together to get it all loaded into Benny’s truck and Dean’s car, Caesar and Jesse promised they’d be over a little later and Krissy said something about meeting up with her boyfriend but if he thought it was a cool hang she’d stop by too.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Dean said, slapping the hood of Benny’s truck before rushing a few feet over to climb behind the wheel of his baby. 

Benny got in the truck and quickly got his phone out.

_ Message to Mari:  _ hey darlin, we’re headin over. See you in a few.

Amara was in the middle of sprinkling rose petals everywhere when her phone went off, she ignored it long enough to finish the bouquet of flowers she’d grabbed but then reached for it and smiled when she saw Benny’s message. 

Some of the plans she’d planned, were executed a lot differently than she’d first imagined but while Amara was having a blast spending Braeden’s money, she didn't want anything to go to waste or ruin. So while the roses made a valiant sacrifice for the cause, she didn’t actually fill the hot tub with champagne. Instead, Crowley suggested a champagne fountain which in turn gave her another idea for a chocolate dessert one as well so they ordered that up from the kitchens along with more than enough wine, beer, and champagne for everyone. 

“Cas, the boys are on their way...and I just realized I might have a tiny, tiny problem….you remember when you told everyone it was a  _ pajama party??”  _

Castiel nodded,”Yeah?” he asked looking over at her.

“This...this is what I have for pajamas,” she said, pulling out the only ‘sleeping’ clothes she’d found in her closet. 

Castiel looked between the tanktop and then at Amara, “And? It’s adorable. I thought you were gonna pull out some kind of teddy or something,” he chuckled.

“You don’t think it’s, y’know, a little too much? I mean...it’s mixed company, I don’t-,” she stopped herself because she knew what she was going to say would be a lie, even if only to herself. She didn’t want to give Benny the wrong idea, but it wouldn’t be the  _ wrong _ idea. She’d wanted the man since she first laid eyes on him but he’d been fine with having a close friendship and Amara wasn’t sure she was ready to move past that yet, though her body had its own thoughts about the situation. “I don’t know why, I just, I thought I had some of my older stuff, that were like actual pajamas. Pants and shirts and not.. _ this _ .” 

Castiel walked up to her, gently putting his hands on her shoulders, “You’ll look great. But if it makes you feel uncomfortable i can go get you something real quick. No one’s gonna think any less of you if you do wear this. It’ll make Benny’s tongue hang out though,” Castiel grinned.

“You think? She found herself asking, though she knew the answer. It had been clear that Benny was attracted to her, he was honest to a fault and she loved that about him. He didn’t play games with her head or make her wonder what was happening between them. They’d only spent a few days together when he sat her down, told her she was one of the most beautiful women, if not the most beautiful that he’d ever seen and if she would think of him when she was ready to put her heart out there again, he’d consider himself a lucky man. It had taken all of her restraint not to give it away right then and the last thing she wanted for Benny was for him to end up as some sort of rebound. No, she needed to work on herself first. Stand on her own two feet and then, well then if he hadn’t moved on, she guessed she would have to consider herself quite lucky as well. 

“Okay, I’ll keep it and if I change my mind I can always borrow one of the boys’ shirts or something to wear with some shorts...I think there’s, yes..here they are. Not the hottest thing ever, but they’ll do in a pinch,” she said, pulling out the knit jersey shorts she’d worn to play basketball back when she was in college.

“Still adorable,” Castiel grinned and then it turned a bit mischievous, “You know...Benny normally wears a shirt to bed and the only reason why I know that is all the times he’s slept at our house,” Castiel quickly said and then continued, “Anyway...Benny would literally turn to mush if you asked for his shirt regardless if you wanted to change or not,” he said. 

Amara felt her face flush, “I’m not sure I could control myself if he actually took it off,” she said, chuckling a bit. There was a sharp knock on the door and she dropped the shorts back into her bag and squeaked a bit as Castiel just lost it, holding his sides as he laughed at her. 

“Just a second!” she called out, before turning back to him, “You’re a terrible friend,” she lied, but he just laughed harder. 

She opened the door and smiled. “Dean could you please go have a talk with your boyfriend, I have some of the kitchen wait staff on hand to bring up the food,” she said, holding her hand out for his keys. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure none of them scratch anything, promise.” 

He gave her a wary look but handed the keys over. “Anything happens to my baby and you won’t like what happens next.” 

“I’ll take care of her, Dean.” 

“Okay, okay…” he said, handing over the keys a bit reluctantly before moving deeper into the room. 

Amara shook her head but smiled as she made her way downstairs toward the back service entrance where she told the boys to park. Crowley had told her she could use the hotel staff as long as it wasn’t inconveniencing any other guests, and the kitchen staff was rarely used for anything because the food was outrageous and not very good for the price either. 

“Follow me,” she said, pushing the door wide and propping it open with a wedged piece of wood. 

“You two, grab me some carts and warmers and get this stuff loaded please, you three, with me we’re waiting on, ahh there it is, that big blue truck.” 

Benny pulled up and felt his chest flutter a bit when he saw Amara standing with three other people. He quickly got out and waved at the strangers, ‘“Hey darlin, foods in the back,” he said and lowered the door. Everything had been positioned perfectly so nothing moved around.

“Hey,” she said, letting his big arms wrap around her. It settled all the frenzied nerves thundering through her and she let out a soft sigh. When they both reluctantly pulled away, she smiled up at him. “I have to stay out here and watch the Impala but if you could supervise these guys getting the food upstairs and then bringing my boxes back down, I’d be forever grateful.” 

“Whatever you need sweetheart,” he said and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. He got the carts the staff had brought out loaded up and followed them upstairs. Her room had transformed with tables and chairs everywhere and even a couple of fountains. Castiel was in prime decoration mode and Benny could only snicker at his two friends before loading those carts back up with Amara’s stuff. It took several trips but they finally managed to get everything swapped out.

“I’ll go give princess his keys so he can come to relieve you of your babysitting duty,” Benny grinned.

“Thanks,” she said, leaning up to kiss at his cheek. “You’re the best.”

She saw one of the servers moving the cart around without any real direction and she shook her head, “Look guys, I’m gonna say this once. If there is a scratch, a blemish,  _ any kind of mark _ on this car, I can assure you, you will not enjoy the results of that  _ accident _ . So please do be careful and don’t come crying to me when your head is spinning around like you’re on the exorcist, alright? Alright. Now let’s be a little more careful, why don’t we.” 

Benny grinned at her and made his way back upstairs, “Hey Dean-O, you can go park your car somewhere safe now,” he laughed throwing the keys at Dean before scooping up his pack, “Now, I need to change,” he said and headed into the bathroom.

Castiel watched him disappear into the bathroom and grabbed at Dean’s shirt before he got too far, “It’s gonna happen tonight Dean,” he said with a wide smile.

“Cas, it happens pretty much every night, but if you wanna do it in a room full of people, I’m not gonna stop you,” Dean grinned, pulling his boyfriend in for a quick kiss.

Castiel laughed, playfully pushing Dean’s face away, “No you idiot. Amara and Benny,” he said.

“What then?” Dean asked, mildly disgruntled that his boyfriend wasn’t kissing him when they both knew that Dean was always happiest when he was kissing Cas. 

Castiel stared up at him and finally gave in, giving Dean a few minutes of kissing before pulling back a bit breathless, “Please tell me I don’t have to explain it to you?” he asked and then laughed at the pout on Dean’s face, “Amara and Benny, by the end of the night they’re going to finally be together,” he said and then kissed Dean again.

“Good for them, but were you serious about the other thing, about y’know, happening tonight? Cause if not I say we blow this popsicle stand and head home,” Dean teased, kissing Cas a few beats longer before finally pulling away. “Those little assholes from the kitchen had better not hurt my baby.” 

Castiel snorted, nipping at Dean’s lip, “Oh that’s definitely happening mister. This morning was not nearly enough,” he grinned, giving Dean his shy smile that he knew riled him right up, “Now go save your car,” he said and then moved out of Dean’s arms.

“This is why I love you,” Dean teased, before rushing out the door. 

They were nearly done loading the food in, Benny and Dean and the rest of the crew at the pizzeria had done most of the work for them. The kitchen staff were  _ mostly _ smart and efficient so they’d loaded everything up on a few different carts and had pulled it into the building as quickly as possible. 

“Your baby is safe,” she said, smiling at Dean when she ran into him in the lobby. “Not even a stiff gust of wind against her, just make sure you take a place in the garage for the night or you might be in trouble. Don’t worry, I told Crowley to make sure you’ve got your own section on the sixth floor, just hop in the elevator and walk across the tunnel thing and you should make it back in, oh...twenty minutes,” she teased, knowing it wasn’t really going to take him that long but his eyes went wide with that information and he nearly jumped to get behind the wheel. 

Benny’s truck would be alright where it was, for now at least. So she made her way back upstairs. 

She pushed the door open, the servers following after her with a few tables and the carts of food. “Just set those along that wall over there and try not to trample all the petals into mush, please.” 

“This is by far the fanciest party any of us have been to,” Castiel chuckled snagging up the box of cheese bread, “Ungh, try one,” he said opening it and offering one.

Amara took a bite and groaned, “Having Dean do the catering was the best idea I’ve ever had,” she said, pulling another bite of the melted cheese into her mouth. ‘It's probably not the fanciest one I’ve ever been to, but it will undoubtedly be the most fun.” 

“No doubt there, where’s- oh there he is,” Castiel said pointing over to the bathroom.

Benny stepped out of the bathroom finally. He’d seen the huge shower and decided to take advantage of it and get all the grime off his body. 

“Hey guys, sorry had to take a quick shower,” he said with a little laugh.

Amara turned and her breath caught in her chest again, just like it had that first time. Benny was gorgeous, always gorgeous, but the way his close were snug against his skin made her body tremble and her knees go a bit weak. She was too far away from the bed to sit down there, but she quickly latched onto the desk chair and sat down there, pretending as if she had some actual planning left to do. 

Benny looked at Amara with concern but caught the smirk on Castiel’s face. His face went a little warm and he distracted himself with rolling up his sleeves, “So uh, anything else that needs to be done?”

“Not sure, but I’m taking advantage of that shower too, ah perfect timing,” Castiel said and grabbed up Dean’s wrist the second he stepped foot into the room, “C’mon,” he grinned dragging Dean into the bathroom.

“Well, if you insist,” Dean said, quickly following his boyfriend into the bathroom. 

Amara bit her lip, she knew she’d be expected to answer Benny now, she needed to get her head cleared a bit. She took a couple deep breaths and then smiled up at him, though it didn’t do much good considering when she turned back to face him her flush deepened and she felt herself respond to just the simple sight of him. “I uh, I’ve taken care of most of it, Crowley was a dream about getting me some help from the staff so it wasn’t too much work. What do you think?” she asked, glancing back and forth across the room trying to keep her gaze off his bulging muscular arms, or the way his jeans looked as if they were painted on. 

“Looks good darlin. Gotta say though, I’m glad you went with Dean’s food. Don’t know if our group could handle the food they serve here,” he laughed softly moving closer to Amara, “How’re you doin?” he asked.

“I’m good, really. Cas and I picked out my apartment today so if you feel up to it tomorrow, I wouldn’t mind a hand carrying what little I have up about four flights of stairs,” she asked, focusing on the blue of his eyes that sent a tightness to her chest instead of her core. She batted her eyelashes at him dramatically and bit her lip, though she knew he couldn't refuse her. Benny was such a warm and kind man, he’d done so much for her, given her so much in the short time they’d known one another.

Benny knelt down in front of her and took her hand, “Anything for you my lady,” he grinned kissing the back of her hand. It was silly but the smile that broke out on her face made it worth the slight embarrassment. 

“You’re ridiculous,” she said, though the heat in her body told her she liked it a lot more than she let on. It was going to be nearly impossible for her to keep her wits about her after the corks were popped and wine was settled warm in her belly. Just the thought of it made her feel a little braver than she’d imagined herself being. 

“Can I get your opinion on something?” she asked, though she moved toward her bag hidden away in the closet because she knew he wouldn’t say no to her. “Castiel told everyone it was a pajama party but all I have is… is this, do you think it’s too much?” she asked again, though this time the flash of heat in Benny’s eyes was all the answer she needed. Amara hadn’t realized exactly what she’d been wanting until it was all there, reflected in his bright blue eyes. 

“Nah, it’s not too much. I think you’ll be beautiful in it,” he said closing the distance between them. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and kiss her breathless but he had to wait for her to make the first move or tell him in some way that she was ready. He refused to push her just out of his own selfish needs.

“Okay, then I’ll wear it... _ for you _ ,” she said, the last two words a bit softer but she knew he heard her. There would be no doubt from anyone that it was her intention to wear it for him anyway, telling him certainly didn’t change anything, but the tension in the air deepend and Amara felt herself gasp as his arm curled around her waist. 

One arm wound around her to pull her in close the other cupped the side of her face, “Tell me to back off,” he said softly, his thumb grazing at the soft skin along her jawline.

“And if I don’t want you to?” Amara said, a deep rasp quality to her voice that clearly said just how affected she was by his touch, his closeness, his  _ everything _ . 

Benny shuddered, his forehead dropping to hers, “That...that would be awesome,” he laughed softly, “Can I kiss you Mari?” he asked, raising his eyes to meet hers.

“Yes please,” she said, feeling the pressure build between them. His mouth pressed against hers, gentle and sweet but it wasn’t enough, wasn’t nearly enough and Amara’s arms folding behind his neck as she pulled him in deeper, pulled his face closer, his body closer, his  _ everything _ closer to her and she needed more than she’d ever felt she needed before. 

Benny groaned hungrily against her mouth and practically picked her up, holding her against his chest so neither of them had to strain their necks. 

“Whoa...um,” Castiel said after opening the bathroom door. He gave them a nervous smile when Amara and Benny broke apart but Dean just ended up yanking him back into the bathroom to give them a moment.

Benny laughed, pressing his forehead against hers, nuzzling at her, “They are menaces,” he said.

“Yeah, maybe...but they’re ours,” she said, straightening her clothes a bit. “And this wasn’t a one and done, so we’ve got time,” Amara promised, kissing his soft lips one more time before she pulled away. 

“C’mon, Cas, Dean, get your cute butts in here, everyone should be here soon.” she announced, grinning at her friends and Castiel’s shit-eating grin that clearly meant ‘I told you so.’ 

* * *

  
  


The party was in full swing and everyone was having a great time eating the food and getting to know their hostess. Benny was never too far away from her. Now that he had permission and knew this was going in a direction he’d been craving for, he had a hard time refraining from touching her. Whether it be a hand on her hip, playing with her hair or just fingers grazing at her hand, he couldn't help it.

At one point it became too much and he all but dragged her onto the balcony, kissing her senseless as he pressed their bodies close, “Sorry...earlier was not enough,” he grumbled against her lips and then licked at her bottom lip.

“It wasn’t for me either, and you shouldn’t apologize for something so wonderful,” she teased, knowing he was sorrier for stealing her away and possibly ruining her lipstick than he was for any of the actual kissing.

She had never been kissed the way Benny kissed her like she was so fragile and precious she could break at any moment but there was so much heat, so much passion between them that it made her head swim. “I’d stay out here with you all night if you asked, even though we probably shouldn’t…not yet at least.”

Benny pulled back enough to cup her face, “We move at your pace sweetheart,” he whispered and kissed her with a brush of his lips, “But when that time does come, I’m gonna ruin you for all other men,” he grinned.

“You don't need to be concerned about that, I feel like you’ve already done that,” she answered, unable to resist the urge to pull him back in again. When she finally pulled away, Amara wiped at her mouth a bit and smiled. “Let’s get back in there.” 

As soon as they returned Castiel was standing in the middle of the bed with his arms up saying “pajama time,” Amara shook her head but moved toward the bag where her short nightie was waiting. There wasn’t any shyness left in her now, she would gladly make Benny feel the way she’d felt when she first laid eyes on him that evening.

She shimmied into her outfit and proudly walked back out into the room. “What do you think?” She asked, “Does it look as good as you imagined?”

“Even better,” Benny grinned pulling her in close to wrap his arms around her waist. She fit perfectly against him and was just tall enough for him to rest his chin on her head.

“You too Benjamin, put your PJs on!” Castiel cried pointing at him. He was already wearing his bee themed pjs. Black bottoms with little honey bees all over the place and his hoodie that resembled a bee. Dean teased him to high heaven even if he was the one who found the hoodie for him.

“Yeah, yeah I hear ya. Bug your boyfriend,” Benny laughed.

“I don't  _ do _ pajamas,” Dean said, as he grinned at Cas and went for the button on his pants. “But for you guys, I’ll keep the boxers on.” 

Amara rolled her eyes, they were all a bit ridiculous but she loved them so very much. 

Most everyone had left, there were only about ten of them actually planning to stay the night, a few of which had been given rooms of their own. Jesse and Caesar had already passed out, not that she blamed them. They prepared the dough for the pizzeria early in the morning for Dean and worked the full day along with him. 

Charlie was chatting up some dark-haired girl from down the hall a bit earlier but she was still around and so was Sam and a few of the younger kids. It had been crazy, what she’d done but it likely wasn’t going to cost any more than he had been willing to pay her for the nondisclosure. In a way, it felt almost like she’d taken the money, but she was reassured by the fact that she’d had fun and made a good time, a  _ memorable moment _ for her friends and she’d done it her way. She hadn’t let him buy her silence exactly, but she’d given herself a means of finally putting him and everything he represented, behind her.

“Now you,” Amara grinned happily up at Benny. “Show me what you got handsome.” 

“Oh that’s dangerous talk right there sweetheart,” Benny chuckled, tickling her sides before heading back into the bathroom. His sleepwear wasn’t all that special or adorable. Just a pair of flannel bottoms and a plain black top. He came back out and spun around for Amara, “This is all I got.”

“It’s perfect,” she said, chuckling at him. It really was too, she thought. It fit him so beautifully. Benny was a simple guy, straightforward and honest, everything Braeden hadn’t been. “It’s  _ you _ and it’s  _ perfect _ .” 

She tugged her lip between her teeth and felt the flush on her face as she remembered what it felt like to be pressed against him, his soft warm mouth against hers. She wanted to feel it again and again, and it made her whole body shiver in anticipation of that exact moment that she’d give in and take from him. 

Benny grinned and took up her hand, leading her over to the couch, “So we watching a movie or something nerds?” he asked dropping down on the cushions before pulling Amara down on his lap.

She flushed and squirmed a bit with the feeling of his hard muscles and warm thighs underneath her. It wasn’t the first time she’d sat on his lap but the thin fabric of his pajamas mixed with the combination of her bare legs and the shortness of her night dress was almost too much. She rushed to reach for one of the spare blankets that had been thrown haphazardly over the back of the couch before unfolding and pulling it over them quickly. 

Benny helped her and they wiggled around until they were comfortable, his hands trailing little designs over her back as Castiel and Charlie argued about what movie to watch. Benny shook his head with a little laugh, “They’re always like this,” he said.

“I don’t mind,” she said, squeezing gently at where one of his had wrapped around her waist, the other trailing against her skin feeling as if he was building a roaring fire with just a few simple touches. Amara squirmed a bit more for completely new reasons though she did try to force herself to settle a bit. It helped that Dean finally vetoed them both and someone hit the light switch. Amara felt just a little bit safer without her blushing cheeks on display and a layer of blanket between the two of them and the rest of the world. 

Benny grinned, his lip caught in his teeth as Amara wiggled around in his lap. They finally got a movie in and finally everyone around them was distracted enough for Benny to start kissing at Amara’s neck, “You looked beautiful tonight darlin,” he whispered.

It wasn’t fair, not really, and the best or worst part, she didn’t know, was that every single word from him, every gesture he’d made was so damn sincere. He wasn’t trying to seduce her, not really. It wasn’t just pretty words in a pretty tone, she believed every single one of them. 

Amara wasn’t an idiot and she knew that Benny would gladly take her to bed but he brought out so much of her, so much of what she’d missed about who she’d been before that Amara found herself wanting it just as much, if not more than he could have ever possibly wanted from her. 

She gasped when his teeth made just a hint of contact with a sensitive spot on her neck and she knew she wasn’t going to be able to reign herself in for much longer. Thankfully, the closest people were Castiel and Dean, who were probably already making out on the opposite end of the large sectional. She was pretty sure they hadn’t been figured out, not yet at least. 

Benny stayed good, keeping his hands from going under her Pjs but he did keep kissing and nipping along her neck and shoulder. She didn’t tell him to stop and it was skin freely accessible to him. Feeling a bit daring and wanting to nudge at the line just a little bit he licked a long, slow line up her neck to suck at her ear lobe.

Amara’s body shook with pleasure, trembled under his touch. It was almost too much and so far away from what she truly wanted, what she craved from him. It had taken her a few moments to regain her higher brain functionality with his hands and mouth working her over so thoroughly but she finally realized that she didn’t just have to  _ endure _ but she could cause a bit of trouble for him too. 

“When you strutted in here from the shower all dressed up for me, I couldn’t breathe. I could feel myself getting wetter just looking at you so I had to turn away.” 

She rolled her hips just a little, “I had to clean up a little when I went to change just from kissing you…”

She had planned to open her neck to him but she changed her mind instead, using a gentle push from her hand to expose his instead. She repaid all those delightful kisses he’d given her with soft bites trailing up to his ear where she finally took her revenge. 

“And even now, I-I bet if you reached down there right now my panties would be damp, just from this, just for you.” 

“Ungh, fuck darlin,” Benny pressed his face against her shoulder to muffle his moan. He was nice and hard now, most definitely tenting his pants and with Amara slowly rolling her hips it was just going to get worse for him. 

“I’d love it if you’d let me touch you,” he whispered back after finally getting his breathing under his control, “See just how wet you are, taste you from my fingers and see how  _ sweet _ you are.”

Amara considered it, she wanted his hands on her, his mouth too, wanted to really let him do what he wanted but they wouldn’t be able to do that, not without bluntly leaving during in the middle of the movie at least. She wrapped her fingers through his and put his hand on her thigh, almost as high as it would go without actually giving him access to do as he’d asked. Instead she squeezed at his fingers and left them there, on her thigh while her own hand, wrist still bumping against him, delved beneath the soft blue cotton of her panties. 

She closed her eyes and dragged a finger to her core, dipping it in just a bit before she pulled it out again. She moved it up her body to feed him but stopped just before she felt his lips and plucked it between her own. Amara let out a small, moan before pulling him in for a harsh kiss to share the taste with him. 

Benny let out a low growl as he feasted on her mouth. The new taste had his body buzzing and he fought tooth and nail not to drag her fully onto his lap so he could rut hard against her, “Fuck baby girl,” he groaned biting roughly on her bottom lip, “Can’t wait to bury my head between those thighs,” he grinned squeezing at the thigh he was still grasping.

Just the mention of that made Amara’s want grow deeper, causing an even bigger ache between her thighs. “You, me, this way,” she said, tugging at his hand as she slid off the couch as quietly as she could. There would be no way to actually sneak out unnoticed but she hoped her new friends loved her enough not to say anything. 

Just as they’d nearly made it to the door to the bedroom, she heard Dean whoop behind them and she dropped her head. 

“Get it, Ben!” 

“I hate you so much,” Amara groaned back at him but Benny was chuckling against her ear and she couldn’t remember much of anything beyond the need to get out of the room with all the people. 

Benny paid little attention to where Amara was taking him but once the door was close he attacked her mouth again, picking her up so her legs wrapped around him and he had her pressed against the wall, “I need to know how far you want this to go,” he panted against her lips before kissing her again.

“What I don’t want from you right now would be a much shorter list,” Amara said, grunting a bit as she tried to press herself closer to where she could feel him, long and thick and still growing for her. “Bed, take me to the bed...then we’ll decide,” she promised, moaning as his hands squeezed at her ass as he kept her steady in his arms. 

Benny carried her over to the bed and damn near threw her down on it, taking his shirt off and pushing down his pants so he was only in his tight black briefs before crawling into the bed with her, “God damn you’re driving me crazy,” he growled, spreading her legs just so he could look at her all spread out for him.

“Up here,” she said, pulling at his shoulders a bit until he scooted up to her eye level. 

“You know me, you know where I’m at right now...that I’ve still got some work to do on me, right?” she asked, and when he nodded she continued. “I can’t give you everything you want right now when it comes to us but,” she paused, swallowing a bit at the weight of what she was about to say. “But I want you Benny, and I’m going to keep wanting you, and if or when I get to that place where I feel like I can breathe on my own and that I have something to offer again...I’ll be looking at you.” 

He started to say something but she quickly interrupted, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should wait for me. If you find someone between now and then, that’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you understand exactly what this means, this, tonight, all of it, okay?” 

Benny kissed her slowly until she was humming against his lips and then he pulled away with a warm smile, “I understand completely baby,” he said softly, dragging his hands along the outside of her body, keeping away from anything too intimate, “Whatever you want right now, I’ll give it to you and everything else I will wait forever for you,” he said.

She almost found herself tearing up at the sweet words but her body was still too ramped up from feeling him pressed against her that she quickly drowned it out with passionate heat and desperate need. “Then I’m yours, Benny. I’m yours and you can have me whichever way you like.” 

Benny surged forward and kissed her like he was starved for it. He knew she gave him permission for things to go much further but it would be their first time together and he wanted to make it more romantic than their friends being in the other room.

There were plenty... _ plenty _ of other ways to satisfy his girlfriend. 

* * *


End file.
